


A Fractured Diamond

by LightNova



Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/F, F/M, I hope you guys like it!, Language, Multi, Original Character(s), Originally Posted on Tumblr, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Slow Burn, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:22:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29756127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LightNova/pseuds/LightNova
Summary: Neva didn’t want to make friends, in her mind, that’s how people got hurt or worse, killed. She would rather be alone than even consider making friends or getting close to people. That is, until her Captain orders her to join a small squad.This is a story about friendship, accepting your faults, and learning its ok to trust others.(I apologize I suck at summaries!)
Relationships: Fuegoleon Vermillion/Original Female Character(s), Julius Novachrono/Original Female Character(s), Mereoleona Vermillion/Original Female Character(s), Yuno (Black Clover)/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 10





	1. A Goodnight for Eavesdropping

It was hot. Too hot. Neva could never sleep when it was this hot, it almost felt like the weather was trying to suffocate her or something. _‘What time is it?’_ She wondered as she looked out the window next to her bed, it was likely around midnight if she were to guess. Neva had been tossing and turning ever since she had gone to her room and tried to sleep; but she knew what some of her problem was. She was restless. The Captain hadn’t sent her out on a mission for nearly two weeks and she was beginning to develop cabin fever. Neva at first thought maybe the Captain was giving her a well deserved rest; but after three days of not being sent anywhere she began to grow concerned. _‘Have I done something wrong? Did I screw up the last mission somehow?’_ Were the first thoughts that ran through her mind.  
  


Growing tired of letting her mind race, Neva threw her blankets off and opened her window. She sighed in relief as a cool breeze swept through and she already began to feel a lot better. Neva rested her arms against the window sill and just stared out over the grounds of their headquarters, she had felt very lucky to have made it into what was considered the strongest squad in the Clover Kingdom. Most people would kill to be where she was, and yet she didn’t feel satisfied with her place in the squad. Neva didn’t just want to be a member of the Golden Dawn she wanted to lead the Golden Dawn. Eventually. That was her goal; to become the Captain and lead the squad just like their current Captain has. But first she had to work her way up through the ranks and in order for that to happen, she needed to be sent out on missions and do well.  
  


Neva was startled out of her thoughts as she saw a flicker of orange out of the corner of her eye. It was a lantern. She sat up straight as she looked down, there wasn’t only just one lantern but two. _‘What are they doing out so late?’_ She wondered as she leaned forward slightly, all she could make out was two mens silhouettes before the light of the lanterns illuminated their faces. It was Exto and Lumis, _‘Oh that’s right; they went out on a mission this afternoon.’_ She sighed in relief as she suddenly remembered that fact, she had been so consumed by her thoughts she had nearly failed to notice anyone from the squad was missing. Neva made a mental note to never let that happen again.

“ Geez that mission was a pain in the ass.” Lumis’ voice traveled up to Neva’s window, she wasn’t one to eavesdrop but she was genuinely curious about their conversation.  
  


“ I agree. But someone had to do it and the Captain seemed to think you and I were more than capable to handle it.” Exto’s deep voice boomed, even if her window was closed Neva was sure she could still hear Exto speak. Neva swore she could almost see Lumis’s eyes roll at his answer.  
  


“ Yeah but it would’ve been a lot easier if we had someone like Neva with us.” Lumis looked over at Exto. “ Why hasn’t the Captain sent her out on any missions recently anyway?”  
  


“ I don’t know. But I’m sure the Captain has his reasons.” Was Exto’s short reply, Neva huffed in annoyance. Of course he wouldn’t know, the only person that would possibly know were the Captain and the Vice Captain. Suddenly the lanterns stopped moving, she could see what appeared to be Lumis turn toward Exto.  
  


“ What’s her deal anyway?” Exto hummed at the question, almost like he was confused. “ I mean, she’s cold. She’ll only go out on solo missions, she doesn’t hardly speak to anyone, does anyone even know anything about her other than what type of magic she wields?” Lumis finished exasperated. Neva watched him visibly relax, as though a weight had been lifted off his chest. It was a long minute before Exto replied.  
  


“ So?” Was his curt reply, both Neva and Lumis were shocked at Exto’s bluntness. “ She’s a private person. Just because someone doesn’t want to share their entire life’s story, like you, doesn’t make them a bad person. If Neva wants you to know about her life, than she’ll tell you.” Exto began to walk again after finishing his sentence while Lumis gaped at him like a fish out of water.  
  


“ I-I don’t share my entire life’s story with everyone!” Lumis shouted, and a snort was his reply. He huffed indignantly before continuing, “ I guess what I’m saying is, I don’t like her, I don’t trust her, and apparently I’m not the only one. How could I trust someone who doesn’t even want to get to know anyones names?” Neva’s heart sank at this, _‘But, I do know your name Lumis. I know everyone's name.’_ If anything that was one thing she made sure she did, she made sure to commit every single persons name to memory.

Exto stopped to look at Lumis, a thoughtful look on his face, as though he were weighing his words. “ You don’t have to like her. But I would recommend trusting her-“ He held up his hand as Lumis began to interrupt. “ Neva is one of the strongest in this squad, which you have admitted. I would rather have her fight alongside me than against me. Besides, if the Captain trusts her than so do I.” Exto began walking again and Lumis slowly followed. Neva decided it would be best if she closed her windows and stopped eavesdropping.  
  


Neva sat with her back against her head-board and began to think. _‘So, that's what everyone thinks of me? That I’m cold?’_ A part of her felt disheartened at the thought that some of her squad mates felt like she didn’t care about them, that she couldn’t be trusted to watch their backs. But at the same time that's what she wanted; she wanted them to stay at a distance. There was a reason Neva didn’t let anyone get close, she refused to lose anyone she was close to ever again. Her heart couldn’t take that kind of pain again. So it was best for everyone if she kept herself closed off, or at least in her mind it was. _‘It’s better this way.’ She concluded with a nod of her head, ‘It’s the only way to keep myself and everyone safe! But-‘_ a small voice in her head spoke. _‘Is it really keeping anyone else safe? I mean, from what I can tell, the only one it’s keeping safe is you.’_ Neva shook her head forcefully, she knew it was her conscience speaking but right now she really didn’t feel like listening to it.

With a quiet sigh, Neva laid back down in her bed and closed her eyes, deciding it would be in her best interest to get some sleep. After all, the magic knights entrance exam was tomorrow, she silently wondered if they would receive any new recruits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again I apologize if its not that good, but thanks for taking the time to read it and I hope you have a good day 💕~


	2. In Hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys~! So a little while ago I decided I wanted to do something with my oc while I worked on fanfics and I decided I would try to write a small series with her! I also have her interact with canon characters which I hope is ok! I apologize if this isn’t very good or i didn’t write characters right but hopefully you guys like it!

It was bright, why was it bright? First, it was hot last night and now it was so bright she could see it with her eyes closed.  _ ‘Maybe I’m in hell.’ _ Neva thought as she pulled a sheet off of her head and opened her eyes slightly, it was around early morning. She groaned as she pulled her sheet back over her head and rolled so she was no longer facing the window, she did  _ not _ feel like getting out of bed today. Especially not after last night. Neva closed her eyes tight as she remembered eavesdropping on Exto and Lumis’ conversation. She couldn't believe that they called her cold, emotionless, untrustworthy, well Lumis had called her those things not Exto, but he hadn’t denied them either.  _ ‘If only they all knew…’  _ She thought with a small sigh when another voice piped up.

_ ‘I mean, you  _ could  _ tell them. There’s nothing stopping you. Other than you just don’t want to tell anyone.’  _ Neva grabbed her pillow and placed it over her head. It was way too early in the morning to be dealing with her conscience. Neva moved her pillow slightly as she heard a soft knock on her door.

“ Neva, it's 8:00. Breakfast is ready if you want to come down and eat. I’m sorry for waking you.” A soft voice on the other side of the door said Neva had heard that voice before but couldn’t quite place who it belonged to. Neva heard heels clicking against the stone floor, signaling the person had walked away. Neva groaned as she sat up and got out of bed, she might as well get a piece of bread or something.

——-

After having gotten dressed Neva made her way down stairs, she could hear the other members of the Golden Dawn laughing and chatting on the other side of the dining hall doors. She went to place a hand on the door handle but hesitated as a roar of laughter erupted from the hall.  _ ‘Maybe it’s best if I wait till everyone else is done, since I’m  _ cold _ and  _ distant.  _ I might end up destroying their joyful moods.’  _ Neva thought to herself with slight irritation, she would never let those words go for as long as she lived. She turned on her heel and began to leave when she walked straight into someone.

“ Please watch where you’re going Ms. Belmonte.” A cold and serious voice said, Neva looked up and noticed the owner. It was Klaus Lunettes. Her superior. She didn’t know much about him personally but from what she gathered he was a typical stuck up nobleman. If someone was of higher status than him, he admired them greatly and was very warm to them, if someone was the same status he was indifferent, and if you were below him he wouldn’t give you the time of day. Neva almost laughed as she suddenly thought about it, a few of the squad members liked him as much as they liked her, which wasn’t very much.

“ I’m so sorry spec-,” Neva cleared her throat at her near slip up. “ Klaus, it won’t happen again. I was just heading to go see the Captain.” Neva added as she began to walk away and head toward the Captain's office.

“ Captain Vangeance isn’t here Neva,” Klaus told her as he turned to look at her. “ He went to the Capitol today’s the entrance exam. Besides, even if it wasn’t the Captain is much too busy to meet with you.” Neva cursed as she stopped in her tracks, she had forgotten that was today. Well luckily she was a very patient person.

“ Oh he’ll meet with me, come hell or high water the Captain’s going to answer my questions.” She threw over her shoulder as she began to walk towards the Captain’s office. Where she waited...and waited...and waited.

———

_ ‘How much longer is he gonna be?! I don’t remember the entrance exam taking this long!’ _ Neva thought irritatedly as she was sitting on the cold stone floor next to Captain Vangeance’s office door. It had been  _ hours _ since Klaus had mentioned he was out. Neva was patient but for goodness sake she could be doing something more important right now! Like say, going out on a mission! Neva finally got irritated enough that she made up her mind and was fixing to go to the capitol herself when she heard the person she was waiting for.

“ Neva? What’re you doing here?” William Vangeance, captain of the Golden Dawn, asked in surprise. Apparently she was the last person he was expecting to see. Neva whipped around to face him, both hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed.

“ I have questions and you’re going to answer them,” she demanded before suddenly remembering her place. “ Captain.”

Vangeance blinked in surprise at Neva’s irritated tone, it was very rare that she acted like this with him, he walked forward and opened the door to his office, allowing Neva to walk inside first. Neva stepped inside and went straight for the chair that was sat in front of his desk, she heard the door click shut behind her as she sat down. Neva glanced around the office, he was very minimal if she said so herself, but one item stood out. A small diamond statue that appeared to be in the shape of a magic knight, sat next to the window and was slightly hidden behind a couple of books, a small smile formed on her lips at the sight. Neva blinked as suddenly Captain Vangeance was in front of her.

“ Now what did you want to ask me, Neva? It’s not often you get irritated.” He crossed his arms on his desk and instantly, Neva’s irritation came back full force.

“ Why am I being side lined? You haven’t sent me out on a mission for two weeks,  _ two weeks _ ! So what gives?” She asked as she sat back in her chair and looked straight at her captain.

“ I do have a reason for pulling you off of all missions,” he began as Neva looked at him. “ you only ever take solo missions, unless I specifically ask you to go with a small squad and when you do go on missions with the others, you tend to dismiss them.” Vangeance explained and she looked down at her lap.

“ So, I  _ am _ being punished?” She muttered softly, not daring to look up at her captain. She could hear him sigh softly.

“ It’s not a punishment, it’s more like a less-“ he began before Neva cut him off.

“ A lesson is still a punishment.” She argued.

“ No it’s not I was just saying-.” She cut him off again.

“ If it walks like a duck-.”

“ Neva!” Vangeance said exasperatedly as he sat back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose, his annoyance with her clear. They sat in silence before he continued. “ I’m trying to teach you to work with others.”

“ I know what your dream is Neva, even if you don’t want to say it to me directly, I know.” He spoke softly this time as Neva wouldn’t look up at him. “ In order for you to achieve your dream you  _ need _ to learn how to work with others, otherwise how will you get any of them to trust you as much as I do? How will you earn their loyalty? You have to work with others, whether you want to or not. That’s how you become a leader.”

Neva knew her Captain was right, but that didn’t mean she was happy about it. She finally lifted her head, crossed her arms, and did something she never thought she would do. She pouted. “ I work better on my own, Captain. I don’t need anyone’s help nor do I want it.” She muttered stubbornly. A soft laugh escaped Vangeance’s lips.

“ You look like a petulant child Neva, you’re above acting that way.” He lightly scolded before turning serious once more. “ But from today on, you’ll be working in a small squad with three other members. One of whom just passed his entrance exam. So this is the perfect opportunity for you to get to know them.” He added before grabbing some paperwork and going through it. 

“ Is that an order Captain?” Neva asked and when she saw the look on her Captain’s face she had her answer. “ Fine!” She sighed before going right back to pouting, causing Vangeance to chuckle softly.

———-

Neva’s eyebrow twitched as she stood with her new squad, which consisted of Klaus the stuck up nobleman, Mimosa Vermillion, a sickly sweet royal which was a little jarring at first, and then Yuno the commoner that everyone was talking about. From what she observed he acted quite a bit like her, he was quiet, focused, and somewhat oblivious to others. Well, she was  _ dismissive _ of others not really oblivious. Neva’s eyebrow continued twitching as Mimosa continued to speak.

_ ‘It’s official: I’m in hell.’ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry it’s not very good! I swear I need to write better endings to my fics 😅. But hopefully you guys enjoyed it, I don’t really have a plot in mind for this so it probably won’t be updated as much as I’d like. But hopefully you all enjoyed it and thank you for reading! I hope you all have a good day 💗~!


	3. A New Team

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys~! So here’s the second chapter of Diamond! I’ve been working on this for weeks and I have to admit I got really mad at myself over this because everything I have planned is for later chapters. Also, I really suck at naming spells so I apologize they’re not very good. But anyway I hope you guys enjoy this ☺️!

Neva was pissed to say the least, this was the  _ last thing _ she wanted. She did not want to be sitting with three other strangers in the dining hall trying to get to know more about one another. She couldn’t believe the Captain ordered her to do this, to be in a small squad of her own. Why couldn’t he just let her be for a change? Why did he always have to stick his nose in her business? Neva watched as Mimosa’s mouth moved but wasn’t listening to a word she was saying, she wasn’t interested in any of it if she were being honest. The royal appeared to be sweet and kind, but Neva wondered if that’s how the girl  _ actually  _ was or if it’s what she wanted to project to others.

Klaus meanwhile was how she usually saw him; as a suck up to someone of a higher status than him, and dismissive of the ones that were of lower status. Yuno, on the other hand, was  _ very _ intriguing. He was sitting silently like her, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else than where he currently was much like her. Neva looked him up and down for a moment; when he was standing he appeared to be tall, he was lean, had jet black hair, and gold eyes. Yep this kid was going to end up being very popular with the ladies. Until they found out he was a commoner that is. Neva was pulled out of her observations when she heard her name.

“ What about you Neva? What’s your magical affinity?” Mimosa asked with slight curiosity, Neva crossed her arms and slightly shrugged her shoulder.

“ Diamond magic.” She answered simply, knowing the reaction she’d get. Mimosa’s eyes grew to the size of cylinders and she let out a small gasp while Yuno’s eyes only widened slightly but otherwise didn’t have much of a reaction.

“ D-Diamond magic? Does that mean you’re..?” Mimosa trailed off, seeming to be slightly weary of the answer she would receive.

“ Don’t worry I was born and raised in the Clover Kingdom. Otherwise I’m sure I would’ve been arrested by now.” Neva assured her with a small wave of her hand as the young girl seemed to release a breath she was holding. It wasn’t the first nor would it be the last time people asked her that question. Mimosa had then turned her attention to Yuno.

“ What about you Yuno? What’s your affinity?” Yuno turned to look at the royal.

“ Uh, wind magic.” Neva blinked at his answer  _ ‘wind magic? Any mage that I’ve encountered with that power wasn’t very special? So what is it about him that has everyone so impressed?’  _ She thought curiously, she had to admit, it was going to be a very interesting first mission tomorrow.

———-

The next morning the four Golden Dawn members went out on their first mission together. It was to clear out a small group of bandits, nothing too complicated. Neva at first couldn’t understand why the Captain had sent them out on such a small mission like this, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. He wanted them to get used to working together. Neva wasn’t sure how well they’d work together since all their magics weren’t really compatible with one another; her’s was diamond, Yuno’s was wind, Mimosa was plant, and Klaus was steel. So how in the world would they be able to work with each other? Neva huffed.  _ ‘The Captains probably thought of that as well.’  _ She shook her head, before hearing Mimosa call out to them from the steel carriage she and Klaus were in.

“ We’re almost there. It should be right in that clearing!” Neva and Yuno nodded, both having chosen to use their brooms instead of riding with Klaus and Mimosa. 

They slowly eased down before landing a few feet away from the campsite and quickly hiding behind a few bushes. They watched as the men seemed to be standing around the fire, talking and eating, the perfect time to strike.

“ So what’s the plan?” Mimosa whispered as she turned toward the others, Neva smirked.  _ ‘I can handle this easily!’  _ She thought as she went to stand up but suddenly she felt a rush of air fly past her and when she looked over she noticed Yuno was gone.

“ Where’d he go?” Klaus asked in a hurried whisper before Mimosa pointed toward the bandits camp and all three of their eyes widened at the sight.

Yuno was currently standing in the middle of the campsite, a vortex of wind swirling around him. He was currently trying to fight all the bandits at once! Neva gritted her teeth and quickly ran out from behind the bushes, with Klaus and Mimosa following.

“ Diamond creation magic: Diamond Shower!” She shouted as she pulled out her grimoire. Shards of diamonds began to rain from the sky and were aimed precisely at the bandits, although she wasn’t aiming to hurt them, she at least wanted to knock them out or immobilize them. She smirked as she was able to pin one to a tree and another to the ground, she quickly turned as she felt warmth near her side.

“ Flame magic: Dragon’s breath!” She heard a flame mage shout, luckily she was able to feel the warmth before she even  _ heard  _ him shout, she quickly dodged the spiral of flame and when she turned toward him she quickly made a hammer out of diamond.

“ Diamond magic: Diamond Hammer!” She quickly swung the mallet before the flame mage could even blink, hitting him square in the stomach, she heard him make an ‘oof’ sound before he went flying into a tree and was knocked out cold. Neva looked around and noticed the others had taken care of the rest of the bandits, Klaus had chained a few to a tree, and Yuno had either knocked them out cold or immobilized them with his wind magic. Mimosa stood by with a big smile on her face.

“ Good work team!” She cheered as she clapped her hands together, Klaus let out a sigh as he pushed his glasses up his nose.

“ It would’ve been better if one of us hadn’t rushed in without discussing a plan first.” He said as he glared slightly at Yuno, who only stared back.

“ It would’ve taken too long. They were right there and it was the perfect time to strike, they were distracted, had their guards down, there wasn’t a better opportunity.” Yuno told him bluntly, causing Klaus to glare further as Neva and Mimosa watched them.

“ M-Maybe so! But we still should have discussed it as a team!” Klaus argued as Yuno began to walk away. “ Don’t walk away from me! We’re not done here!” He shouted after him and Yuno just continued walking.

“ Oh I like him.” Neva said with a smirk as she followed Yuno, Mimosa shrugged at Klaus and also walked away.

“ Are you all going to at least help me with the bandits?!”

————-

After loading the bandits up, the small team carried them back to the capital and dropped them off at the prison before heading back to their headquarters. As they were flying back Neva couldn’t stop herself from watching Yuno; she had honestly thought the rumors about him were just that, rumors. She had no idea they would actually be true, but even she could feel how strong his mana was back in the woods, how  _ powerful _ he was. It was like he was blessed by it or something, and in all honesty, it made Neva a little jealous. But the more she thought about it, the more she got a wicked little thought in her head.

_ ‘I wonder,’  _ She smirked at the thought.  _ ‘If I could convince him to help me become Captain.’ _ Yuno must’ve noticed her eyes on him because he turned to look at her. She jumped slightly and quickly turned away, missing the suspicious look in his eyes.

After the four of them had made it back to the Golden Dawn headquarters they began walking toward the dining hall for dinner when Neva cleared her throat.

“ Hey Yuno, do you have a minute? I’d like to talk to you about something.” Neva asked, Yuno blinked in confusion.

“ Uh, sure? I guess.” He said before Mimosa and Klaus continued walking toward the hall, saying they’d save the two of them a seat. “ What’s up?” He asked after they had gone inside. Neva sat on the short courtyard wall and looked at him.

“ I just wanted to say that I underestimated you. When I first heard the rumors about you, I’ll admit I was skeptical, especially when you said you had wind magic.” Neva started as she crossed one leg over the other. “ But I was pleasantly surprised, so I apologize for my earlier doubts.” He shrugged.

“ It’s fine. You’re not the first person to underestimate me.” He told her as he placed one hand on his hip before turning to look at her. “ Although, I doubt that's the only reason you called me out here.” Neva almost laughed at how perceptive he was,  _ ‘No wonder my father always told me to never judge a commoner. Sometimes, they’re smarter than they want you to think.’ _ .

“ You’re right, there  _ is _ something else I wanted to ask you,” she started before looking down at her shoes. “ What’s your goal?” She asked, he looked slightly taken aback by her question but he quickly recovered.

“ To become the Wizard King.” Yuno told her, she could hear the slightest amount of passion in his voice. She looked back up at him with a small smirk on her face.

“ I can help you reach that goal, but I have one condition.” Neva told him, and instantly he frowned at her. “ You see, I have a goal myself; to become Captain of the Golden Dawn someday and I believe we can help each other.” His eyes narrowed skeptically.

“ I can try and get us the more serious missions, the ones that will help us rise up the ranks and if I’m being 100% honest, you’ll rise up the ranks faster than I will. So all I ask is that when you rise up to the rank of Captain, because you will eventually, that you make me your Vice Captain and when you become the wizard king, that you make me the Captain of the Golden Dawn.” She proposed, and instantly his face went blank. Neva hated it when she couldn’t read people's faces, it made her nervous.

“ Sounds like you need me more than I need you.” He told her after a minute and it shocked her so much she nearly fell off the wall.  _ ‘My proposal was excellent! Wasn’t it?’ _ She thought in disbelief, she quickly pulled herself back up the wall and glared.

“ T-That’s not it-.” She started but he cut her off.

“ Yes it is. You said it yourself; I will eventually rise up the ranks, all the way to Captain in your opinion, so why would I need your help if you believe I’ll do it even without it?” Yuno questioned, Neva looked down at the ground. He had a good point. She basically gave him every reason  _ not _ to agree to her deal,  _ ‘Wow, I really suck at this.’ _ She thought with a small huff before hearing Yuno sigh.

“ Do you know why you suck at trying to manipulate people?” He asked her. “ It’s because you’re not a manipulative person, I’ve only known you for a few hours but even I can see that. You don’t need my help, or anyone’s for that matter, to make it to Captain.” He added with a small shrug, Neva’s face turned a slight shade of pink as she looked up at him.

“ Heh. It’s funny, I’m sure at least a majority of this squad would disagree with you on all those points.” She muttered and she saw him roll his eyes.

“ Then let them, what does it matter what they think?” He asked her. “ Come on, let’s go get dinner.” He added as he began walking toward the dining hall door, Neva stood up and followed after him before suddenly remembering.

“ You go ahead and eat, I have to go report to the Captain.” She told him before walking past him, Yuno nodded at her before opening the dining hall door and walking inside.

————

Neva made her way to Vangeance’s office, a small smile on her face. Even though she completely failed at trying to get Yuno to help her, it felt really good having someone to talk to, someone other than the Captain anyway. She came upon his door and began to knock but she stopped herself; it sounded like he had company. She couldn’t make out the other voice as it was a hushed whisper, but she knew it wasn’t her Captain’s voice. She placed her ear against the door to see if she could hear any bits of the conversation, but they were just being too quiet. It sounded urgent if the tones of their voices signaled anything. Neva heard his boots approach the door and she quickly pulled away and held her hand up, as though she were just about to knock on his door. When Vangeance pulled it open to see Neva on the other side he was very surprised.

“ Neva, I wasn’t expecting you back so soon. I take it the mission went well?” He asked her, his voice calmer than what she had heard a moment ago. Neva couldn’t stop the frown from appearing on her face as she tried to look around him to see inside his office.

“ Uh, yeah it went fine. Is there someone in your office?” She asked turning to look at him, a small smile appeared on his face as he tilted his head.

“ No why? Is something wrong?” He asked her his voice, sounding a little confused, she blushed slightly and scratched the back of her head nervously.

“ N-No nothing wrong, I just thought…” Neva trailed off nervously, Vangeance chuckled a bit before patting the top of her head.

“ Its ok, you’re probably just tired. Go get some dinner and then try to get some rest. You’ve earned it today.” He said as began to walk away. “ Oh by the way, I’ll be gone for a while, I was called away on urgent business. So if you need anything, you’ll have to try and get a hold of Langris. Goodnight Neva.” He added as he continued walking away. She turned to look into his office and her eyes widened.

It was completely empty. It had only been him inside the office, Neva quickly turned to look at her Captains retreating form. She had never known him to be the type to talk to himself and it would be even more odd if he used a different voice when doing so. Neva’s face immediately became concerned.

Something was wrong with her Captain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry it’s not very good 😔. I’m thinking about skipping ahead a little bit or maybe trying to talk to some of my mutual writers because I’m really stuck on what I should write next since I’m trying really hard not to directly copy canon events. But anyway I hope you guys enjoyed this I apologize if you didn’t and I will try better next time. Have a good day everyone 💞~!


	4. The Dungeon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys~! So i’m sorry I haven’t posted this chapter in a while 😅, but here it is! I also want to quickly apologize that this one sucks and not much happens in it, i’ll try and make the next one better 💕! Also, i changed the episode numbers a bit lol!

It’s been a couple of months since Captain Vangeance forced Neva to work in a group, and surprisingly, she found her team was starting to grow on her. Even Klaus was, although he would still annoy her sometimes. But she learned to either brush it off or ignore it completely, the one thing she hadn’t been able to brush off though; was her Captain's off behavior.

He was gone more often than he was here, which wasn’t  _ too _ unusual seeing as how he was a Captain. But still, it wasn’t  _ normal _ ; not for him. Anytime Neva went to go see him and ask him if everything was alright, he’d smile his usual smile, pat her on the head, and tell her she worried too much. It was annoying. She tried to keep track of his movements as discreetly as she could but she wasn’t good enough to outsmart him, he  _ always _ sensed her mana. No matter how hard she tried.

Neva had to admit she was somewhat surprised he had decided to send her and the others to check out this new Dungeon that appeared on the border of the Clover and Diamond kingdom. She had figured the Captain would send Langris or Alecdora to come check it out, but instead he decided to send them. Although she wouldn’t complain, it was a way for their little squad to show everyone what they were made of. She stretched as they landed at Dungeon sight.

“ So what’s the plan?” Mimosa asked as she herself stretched as well, Yuno and Klaus both seemed to be trying to come up with some sort of idea.

“ Mimosa, don’t you have a spell that allows you to see the layout of a building?” Klaus asked her, she nodded and quickly cast the spell. They all gathered around her to look.

“ It looks like we’re directly above it.” Yuno muttered, Neva nodded in agreement before frowning a bit.

“ What are these two dots Mimosa?” She asked as she pointed, there were two bright dots that were almost directly underneath where the group stood. They didn’t appear to be moving, so what exactly was it?

“ Oh! Those are people, so that must mean we’re not the only ones to be sent out here to investigate.” Mimosa said, all of their faces turned serious. It was either another Magic Knight squad, or it was the Diamond Kingdom. Yuno looked around before speaking.

“ This will probably be the best way in. Klaus, you can use your steel magic and drill a hole into the ground for us to go through,” Yuno turned toward him before turning to Neva. “ you can make a diamond platform for us to stand on while I use my wind magic to help us descend safely.” Yuno added, Neva couldn’t stop the smirk from appearing on her face. He was a natural born leader. He raised an eyebrow.

“ What’s with that look?” He asked in his usual monotone voice, Neva shook her head before pulling out her grimoire.

“ Nothing.” She told him, Yuno sighed and shook his head in response before Klaus drilled a hole into the ground, Neva made her platform for them to stand on, and Yuno used his wind magic to lift them up and gently lower them into the dungeon.

“ Be on guard. We don’t know what we’re walking into.” Klaus warned, the others nodded in agreement. For all they know, they could be walking into a small army of Diamond Kingdom soldiers, and that would  _ not _ be good.

—————-

What the small squad found was not what they were expecting; a young blonde haired boy and a silver haired girl were currently caught in what appeared to be a trap. A plant trap to be exact. Before Neva could send a diamond spell its way Yuno had used his wind magic to cut it down. After the group had landed the blonde hair boy came running up to them.

“ Hey Yuno.” He greeted Yuno cheerfully, when Neva looked at his face her eyes widened in surprise. He had a smirk on his face but his eyes held a fondness in them. Did they know each other?

“ Hey Asta.” He greeted. Neva had to admit she was a little surprised, she had thought he was like her; a loner. But surprise surprise he seemed to have a close friend, but then again, so did she. She looked the two teens up and down, her eyes settling on their robes. They were Black Bulls, her eyes narrowed slightly; why would the Wizard King send out another squad to investigate the dungeon? Whatever rested in this dungeon, must be  _ very _ valuable if they were sending out  _ two _ magic knight squads here to recover it. She heard Klaus sigh and turned to look  _ ‘Oh great, here we go.’ _

“ Yuno, what was your reason for saving these two?” He asked irritatedly, Neva’s eyebrows raised; why  _ wouldn’t _ they try to save them?! Apparently what Klaus had insinuated hit a nerve with Asta and he confronted him about it. Neva shook her head and couldn't stop the sigh that escaped her, it looked like they would be a while. She then turned her attention to the young woman with silver hair, wait,  _ silver hair _ ...Neva’s eyes narrowed and noticed she had two cross earrings.  _ ‘No way, this girl is a Silva?!’ _ Neva thought in shock, shouldn’t she be a part of the Silver Eagles like the rest of her siblings.

“ Hi Noelle, it’s good to see you!” Mimosa said cheerfully, Noelle seemed to look shocked as she turned toward Mimosa.

“ Oh, Hi Mimosa. I’m surprised to see you here.” The girl, Noelle, said as she crossed her arms. Mimosa giggled.

“ As am I. I didn’t think they had sent out another squad to investigate.” She told her. Neva looked next to her and noticed Yuno was doing the same as her; watching the others interact. Apparently they both wanted to make sure things didn’t get out of hand.

This, as Neva called it, small pissing contest went on for at least five minutes.

“ How about we race?! Whoever makes it to the center of the dungeon first is the winner!” Asta suddenly shouted, Klaus smirked before pushing up his glasses.

“ Fine! Challenge accepted! Mimosa scan the area, Yuno create a vessel for us to ride in, and Neva create a barrier to protect us from any traps or attacks!” Klaus ordered, the others simply nodded before doing as they were asked.

“ It was nice to meet you Asta, Noelle, see you guys at the center!” Neva shouted as Yuno’s wind current raised them higher, she saw a smirk on Asta’s face.

“ Not if we see you there first!” He shouted after them, Neva had to admit, even though she hadn’t interacted much with the two Black Bulls, they seemed to be an alright pair.

—————

As the Golden Dawn traveled a little ways Klaus decided it would be a good time to belittle the Black Bulls. Again. Neva rolled her eyes,  _ ‘Doesn’t he ever get tired of putting others down just to make himself seem better?’  _ Neva thought with an annoyed sigh. This was part of the reason she hadn’t wanted to be on the same squad as him, she hated stuck up nobles and how they always wanted to be holier than thou. She watched Yuno turn to look at Klaus.

“ Don’t underestimate Asta. He’s one of the strongest people I know.” Yuno defended his friend, Klaus’s face turned a slight shade of pink before he went silent.  _ ‘Finally.’  _ Neva thought with a satisfied smirk on her face.

After a few more minutes of traveling, Neva was beginning to get bored. The silence was gnawing at her and she needed someone to break it. So that’s exactly what she did.

“ How do you and Asta know each other, Yuno?” She asked, she noticed Yuno turn slightly to look at her and shrug.

“ We grew up together at the same orphanage.” He told her simply, Neva nodded slightly in understanding.

“ So, he’s like your brother?” She asked curiously, they sure acted like it even though she had only seen them interact for a couple of minutes at the most. She could tell they cared for each other. He looked contemplative for a moment before nodding.

“ I guess you could say that.” He agreed, Neva went to say something else before Mimosa spoke.

“ We’re almost there, it should be right up ahead!” She shouted and the others nodded before they came upon a giant door that led to the center of the dungeon.

“ Are you sure this is it Mimosa?” Klaus asked as he turned toward her, once she nodded in confirmation they turned back to the door.

“ So...how do we open it?” Neva asked, there didn’t seem to be a lock nor did there appear to be a mechanism to trigger that would open it.

“ Maybe it goes on magic power?” Mimosa suggested, the others half shrugged and half nodded, it would make sense; you had to have a certain level of mana in order to open it. That’s all they really had to go on at this point so it was worth a shot.

“ Yuno, try and hit it with one of your spells and see if that works.” Klaus ordered, Yuno sighed but began to cast a spell when, suddenly, Mimosa gasped in surprise.

Neva turned to her side and her eyes widened in fear, Mimosa was surrounded by what appeared to be diamond, her clothes ribbed, cuts appearing on her body.

“ Mimosa!” They all shouted in unison, Neva quickly pulled out her grimoire.

_ “  _ Diamond Creation magic: Diamond Shell!” She shouted before a huge dome made of diamond appeared around the golden dawn members.  _ ‘Dammit! Where are they? I don’t see anyone!’  _ She thought as she gritted her teeth, her eyes scanning the area around them for their opponent, Klaus and Yuno doing the same.

Neva turned to look at Mimosa,  _ ‘That...that looks like  _ my  _ magic! But somethings different about it, it’s made differently...which means..’ _ She trailed off, no, it couldn’t be...a soldier from the Diamond Kingdom?!

“ Show yourself!” Klaus shouted, suddenly a young man appeared from the shadows, casually, as though he had all the time in the world. Instantly all the members of the Golden Dawn tensed up, he was strong if his mana was anything to go by. This was going to be one hell of a fight.

“ Get out of my way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again I apologize this chapter sucks, I was reading on this arc again and I didn’t want to copy it word for word so that’s why it’s kinda choppy I’m sorry 😅! I probably should’ve just skipped this arc, but anyway I’m sorry again and I hope you guys enjoyed it I’ll make the next chapter better I promise I hope you all have a good day💕~!


	5. One Tough Battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys~! So here’s chapter 4 I hope it’s a little better than chapter 3 and again I’m trying not to completely rip off the manga or anime so a few things and quotes are different! But the next chapter should end this little arc (i was gonna try and add it to this chapter but i decided to just push it off) Also in this chapter you learn the difference between Neva’s magic and Mars’! But anyway I hope you guys enjoy~!

“ Get out of my way.” The stranger commanded as he walked towards the small Golden Dawn squad, Neva looked over at Mimosa and saw she was using one of her recovery spells.  _ ‘Good. At least she’s alright.’ _ Neva thought in relief as she removed her Diamond Shell and conjured up two twin daggers made out of diamond. She only ever used this spell when she knew she would have to engage in close quarter combat, she watched as Yuno and Klaus also got into their combat positions. The stranger didn’t look phased at all.

“ Yuno, Neva, look.” Klaus motioned towards the man and saw what Klaus was pointing out, the diamond on his grimoire.

“ He’s from the Diamond Kingdom.” Yuno said as his eyes narrowed, Neva nodded, it was just as she suspected. But what really confused her was the crystals on his forehead and the one on his chest.

“ Klaus, are those what I think they are?” She asked as she turned toward him. Klaus nodded before he pushed his glasses up.

“ Yes. I thought the rumors about the Diamond kingdom conducting experiments on people were just that; rumors. Apparently we were wrong.” Klaus said before the man attacked them again, luckily Klaus had good reflexes and was able to block the attack with a steel shield.

“ Quit talking and get out of my way!” The man commanded again before sending more attacks their way. One right after the other. The three Golden Dawn members did their best to dodge and send attacks right back at the man, Neva mostly tried to protect Mimosa the best she could as Yuno and Klaus went for the stranger.

_ ‘Now I know why people assumed I was from the diamond kingdom.’ _ Neva thought as she used one of her blades to slice through an attack.  _ ‘On the surface you can’t tell the difference, other than they’re different colors, but otherwise they’re nearly identical. Except mine's stronger.’ _ Neva though with a smirk as she used her ‘Diamond shower’ spell at the stranger, who blocked it with ease. She gritted her teeth, this was a real pain in the ass.

“ We’re being cornered.” Klaus said as he and Yuno moved back toward the girls, he and Neva shared a look between themselves.  _ ‘They would have to send someone ahead without them.’  _ After Neva nodded in agreement Klaus looked at Yuno. “ You need to go ahead without us. We’ll take care of him.” Klaus commanded, Neva stood up straight.

“ But I-!” Yuno began to argue before she held up a hand to silence him, she knew he’d argue, that was the kind of person he was even if he appeared to not really care about anyone.

“ We’ll be fine. Go and get that treasure. We’ll meet you there once we deal with this guy.” Neva told him, she half turned toward him, a small smirk on her face. “ Trust me. This guy won’t be able to take us down that easy.” She added before she and Klaus shared another look.

They were screwed, and they both knew it. If Yuno was even having a tough time with this guy, then the two of them didn’t really have a chance. But if they were going down, then they’d go down swinging. She heard Yuno sigh, apparently deciding not to argue, she heard him quickly run down the hall.  _ ‘Wait, when did that door open?!’  _ She thought as she turned to look; yep it was open, huh, interesting. Neva suddenly heard Klaus shout and she turned to look.

_ ‘Dammit! I shouldn’t have gotten distracted!’  _ Neva thought as she saw a crystal bind Klaus’s foot. It was as if the world began to move in slow motion; she saw the man send another attack towards Klaus, her body began to move on its own, but she knew she wouldn’t make it to him in time. The spell was going to hit him, and there wasn’t anything she could do about it.

_ ‘Why...why am I so weak?’ _

Suddenly, a rush of wind swept past her and blocked the attack. Neva quickly turned and saw Yuno standing there, she couldn’t stop the surprise from appearing on her face. He turned back for them?

“ Why did you turn back? We told you to go! The mission is our main priority!” Klaus shouted as Neva quickly broke the crystal that bound his foot, they watched Yuno stand a bit in front of them, as though to shield them from the stranger.

“ Because you’re my friends.” He answered simply, Neva had to admit that statement shocked her a bit and she didn’t really know why. If this weren’t such a serious situation they were in she would probably be laughing right now. He had only known them for a couple of months and was already admitting they were his friends, whereas she had known most of her squad for over a  _ year _ and she refused to call any of them that. Hell, she didn’t even want to call the people she was currently  _ with _ her friends!  _ ‘But,’  _ Neva thought with a shake of her head.  _ ‘If Yuno’s already willing to admit that he considers us his friends, then maybe, just maybe, I’ll be able to admit it too one day.’ _ That single thought warmed her heart a bit, before she suddenly felt a surge of mana.

“ Neva, look!” Klaus stated, pulling her out of her thoughts. He pointed toward where Yuno was standing, shock clearly on his face. As Neva turned to look she realized that was where all the mana was coming from, a smirk appeared on her face as she watched the wind circle around him.

“ Well aren’t you just full of surprises Mr. Prodigy.” She muttered as she watched him wield two spells at once and throw them at the soldier.

————

“ Yuno!” Neva shouted as she watched him begin to be overpowered by the Diamond Mage, she hadn’t noticed he never pulled out his grimoire, but now that the Diamond Soldier had, the fight was even  _ more _ unmatched than it already was. Neva quickly conjured a diamond wall in between Yuno and the man, trying to do anything she could to try and help Yuno get the upper hand. But as thanks for her troubles, she was given a crystal doll created by the stranger and it just so happened to be strong enough to keep her busy.

“ Klaus! Snap out of it we need you!” She shouted as she sent another diamond shower at the doll. It was almost a life size version of the ones she had made when she was a child, except hers didn’t move, and they for sure didn’t try to kill anyone! She quickly blocked another attack before looking over at Klaus, who appeared to be stunned for a few moments, finally snapped out of it and began to try to attack the stranger once again. But it failed. The stranger created another doll just like the one she was fighting.

“ Why are you so hard to beat?!” She shouted at the doll as she slashed at it with her blade again, she was able to cut across what would be it’s chest, but it wasn’t enough to take the damn thing down.  _ ‘I don’t understand! My magic is different from there’s! So why isn’t it able to cut through?!’  _ She thought indignantly as she dodged another one of its spells. Her magic was made out of carbon, theirs was made out of minerals, hers was made from one of the strongest materials on the planet, theirs was not, so why in the hell could she not cut it down?!

“ Just surrender.” Neva turned toward the voice’s and her eyes widened. Yuno was being overwhelmed, and appeared to be frozen just like Klaus was a moment ago.  _ ‘Son of a-!’ _ Neva quickly conjured a diamond hammer and hit the crystal doll square in the chest, knocking it onto its back. She smirked in satisfaction before rushing to aid Yuno.

But she didn’t get very far.

The crystal doll suddenly appeared in front of her.  _ ‘What the hell? I ended this didn’t I?!’  _ Neva thought before suddenly she watched as the doll pulled it’s fist back. Crap. There was nothing she could do, she couldn’t block it, she couldn’t move out of the way, she had to take a direct hit. So she did. With a soft ‘oof’ the doll punched her square in the stomach and sent her flying across the room. All the air was knocked out of her lungs as she slammed into the wall next to the dungeons entrance, she slid down onto the floor and watched as Klaus was starting to become overwhelmed by the doll he was facing, and Yuno was about to be dealt a finishing blow by the Diamond Soldier.

_ ‘I’m sorry guys,’  _ Neva thought weakly as her vision was beginning to darken and she heard the crystal dolls footsteps inch closer and closer towards her.  _ ‘I’m sorry I wasn’t strong enough to protect all of you…’ _

The last thing Neva saw before she slipped into unconsciousness was a giant crystal ax about to crash onto Yuno.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry if this isn’t very good but I hope you guys like it~! I should have episode 5 out in a couple of days than I’ll be able to move on to a couple of other stuff for this series and my fanfics 💕! But I hope you all enjoyed and I hope you all have a good day 🥰!


	6. The Escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for this chapter it isn’t very good!

“ Eva...You ok…”

Neva frowned slightly, that voice sounded so far away, she felt like she was sinking further and further into a sea of darkness. She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t struggle, all she could do was lie there as it slowly pulled her under.

“ Wake up...Neva...you have to wake up!” There that voice was again, it was calling to her, beckoning her to come towards it, a part of her didn’t want too. But the other side knew she had people that were relying on her, that needed her help  _ now _ ! So she opened her eyes and began to swim out of the darkness the best she could.

Neva couldn’t stop the small moan of pain from escaping her lips, she was hurting like  _ hell _ . Her head, her back, and especially her stomach were about to do her in. But she felt a warmth envelope her and she opened her eyes to see Mimosa using her recovery spell, she looked around and noticed her Diamond protection spell was gone and replaced by a shell of water.

“ Oh good you’re awake! How are you feeling?” Mimosa asked, her happiness clear on her face.  _ ‘So that was the voice I heard.’ _ Neva thought as she tried to sit up before wincing and laying back down. “ Stay still, you were hurt pretty badly! But luckily you’re almost healed so you’ll be ok soon.” Mimosa added.

Neva looked and noticed that the silver haired girl, Noelle she believed her name was, was standing in front of them with what appeared to be a magic item in her hand. She instantly frowned, so she was a water mage? That annoyed Neva actually, she knew the reason  _ why _ it annoyed her, but kept it to herself for now. Neva then looked past the girl and her eyes widened.

Yuno and his friend, Asta, were currently fighting the mystery soldier. She sat up and, like the others, watched the fight in awe. She heard Noelle say something about Asta being able to nullify magic and her eyebrows raised in surprise. Neva had never even heard of that kind of magic existing before! It was quite interesting. She rolled her eyes as Klaus began trying to belittle them. Again.

“ Will you just shut up and be grateful they were here to help us?!” Neva finally snapped, causing all but Asta and Yuno to look at her in surprise. She blushed and rubbed her neck nervously. She hadn’t meant to snap, but she wasn’t going to apologize for it either. Luckily what she had said shut Klaus up, for a while at least, and they continued watching the fight unfold.

When Neva thought they had  _ finally _ gotten the upper hand the mysterious man, Mars, she thought she heard Asta call him, decided to use one of his major spells. A giant suit made of crystals, that  _ moved _ ! She paled considerably, she couldn’t make anything like that in her wildest dreams! Let alone be able to  _ move _ something that big! It made her realize how weak she truly was, and how much she still needed to learn.

_ ‘There’s no way we’ll be able to be that! No way!’ _ Her mind screamed, but she was proven wrong as she watched them swiftly defeat Mars and his little crystal dolls stopped moving. She watched as Noelle removed her protective spell and she quickly stood up, but she made sure to stay on guard in case the dolls decided to attack again.

“ This treasure belongs to the Clover Kingdom!” She suddenly heard Asta shout, she couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped her lips. Even though he took one hell of a beating he still somehow managed to stay positive, she had to admit, it was quite inspiring.

“ You’re correct on that I will admit,” Klaus said suddenly before he bound Mars using his restraining spell. “ But it was the Golden Dawn who recovered the treasure, so this victory belongs to us.” Klaus added smugly, Neva frowned.  _ ‘Seriously?! You want to bring up that petty bet  _ now?!’ She couldn’t help but think with a shake of her head.

“ Great. Now they’re arguing.” She muttered to herself as she watched Klaus and Asta argue over how to enter the dungeon, she heard someone walk up next to her and she glanced over her shoulder to see Yuno.

“ Hey, you ok?” He asked in concern, she blushed a little, not really used to someone other than the Captain being so concerned about her. She shuffled her feet nervously before nodding.

“ Y-Yeah, I’m ok. Honestly I’m just really sore, but Mimosa’s recovery spell really helped.” Neva muttered, she noticed he still had that concerned look on his face and she smirked before placing a hand on his shoulder. “ Don’t look so worried, it’ll age you.” She teased before they were suddenly called by the others.

“ We figured out a way to get through thanks to Luck.” Noelle said before nodding to the young blonde boy beside her, Neva noticed her hair stand up as though there were static in the air.

“ How?” Yuno asked before crossing his arms, Asta smirked before rushing forward and breaking what appeared to be a magical barrier with his blade. Everyone couldn’t help but be amazed by it.

“ Impressive.” Neva muttered before walking inside the treasure room with the others, she had to admit she wondered what was inside here that was so valuable that both the Clover Kingdom and the Diamond Kingdom wanted it.

——-

Neva had to admit, she wasn’t sure this was what she was expecting.

A room full of gold, jewels, and valuable treasure? She had initially thought that maybe it was just a magic item that was being held in here, but after seeing  _ this _ , she realized why both kingdoms wanted this treasure. Hell,  _ she _ even wanted this treasure, and she wasn’t even a greedy person! She looked at the others and noticed they were just as amazed as she was about this. Neva decided this was the best time to explore and see what all was hidden in this place. Apparently the others were thinking the same as they all dispersed and began digging through the small mountains of treasure.  _ ‘Maybe I’ll find a magic item that’ll make my diamond stronger, like that Mars guys!’ _ Neva thought as she began digging through the gold.

_ ‘But, do you really  _ want _ to be like him though?’  _ That little voice in her head told her, she stopped her search and frowned as it continued.  _ ‘I mean, his magic is scary and dangerous, he enjoys hurting people with it. I mean, sure it’s cool and powerful. But do you truly want to be that kind of person?’  _ The voice questioned, Neva shook her head, of course she didn’t want to be that kind of person. But after seeing how his crystal magic was stronger than her diamond one, it made her angry, very angry.

_ ‘I don’t want to be like him no, but how else am I going to protect everyone when I’m not strong enough to even defeat someone with a similar magic to mine?!’ _ Neva argued, that was the whole problem; she wanted to be able to beat someone who had a similar magic to hers. She had watched Yuno defeat another wind mage easily, Mimosa too, and even Klaus. They were all able to defeat enemies with the same affinity, and yet she couldn’t. It was almost embarrassing.

“ Hey, Neva right? Did you find anything interesting?” Noelle asked as she walked over, Neva blinked before looking up at the girl, her eyes narrowed. She seemed to like the girl so far, but her magic, that was a different story.

“ Nope. Not at all.” Neva said rather coldly, causing Noelle to jump a bit and make her own eyes narrow.

“ Geez sorry I asked.” She muttered before walking away, Neva let out a small sigh before going back to looking through the gold. When she suddenly felt a surge of mana come from the back of the room, she looked around the pile and her eyes widened.

Yuno was  _ glowing _ . Literally. His grimoire and whatever object he was holding were glowing this bright green, Neva stood up and walked over to him as he returned to normal, but he had a confused look on his face.

“ What was that all about?” She asked him, he shook his head and held out the scroll to her.

“ I’m not sure, I picked this up and it had some writing on it in a language I couldn’t understand. But now it’s vanished.” He told her confused, she took the scroll and looked over it herself. It was completely blank. She made a ‘hm’ sound before finally handing it back to Yuno.

“ Hang on to it. Maybe Captain Vangeance can tell us what exactly this was.” Yuno nodded before placing the scroll in his robe. When suddenly they heard Luck shout.

“ Guys watch out!” But it was too late, Klaus, Yuno, and Luck himself were suddenly surrounded by crystal. Neva’s eyes widened before she quickly made a dagger out of diamond, as she went to try and cut Yuno free she froze. There was no way she’d be able to cut him out without hurting him.  _ ‘Dammit!’ _ She turned to face Mars and she blinked.

“ He can use fire too?!” She shouted without meaning too, the others looked just as surprised as she was. “ Great. Now my magic is  _ really _ useless.” She added as she walked forward a bit in front of Yuno so she could at least try and protect him.

“ What do you mean?” Noelle asked as she held her magic item tightly in her hand, Neva sighed.

“ Well, my Diamonds are made of carbon. Carbon burns. So if he has an offensive fire spell, he can burn my diamond which will cause a toxic gas to fill the air, and if I try to use my ‘diamond shell’ to protect us, he will literally  _ cook us alive _ because diamonds are actually a good heat conductor.” Neva explained, she noticed everyone looked very confused at her explanation and she sighed. “ Nevermind its science stuff.” She muttered before preparing for the fight ahead.

——-

Things were not going as great as they could’ve been.

Noelle was severely injured, Asta wasn’t in great shape as he was knocked through a wall, Neva herself was pretty banged up, and the others were still locked in their crystal prisons. Neva had been trying to use her ‘Diamond Palisade’ to at least buy Mimosa some time to heal Noelle, but he kept breaking through them. Neva began to pant, she was getting exhausted.

“ Had enough yet?” He mocked as he continued to heal himself with his flame magic. Neva smirked, this entire time she had been watching Asta and the others not give up, so why should she even though she was exhausted?

“ Heh. Sorry, but I don’t think so.” She scoffed before closing her eyes. “ Paragon Armor: Effervescent Stage!” She shouted suddenly, this would use all the mana she had left. The armor was a product of a year’s worth of training, she hadn’t been able to test it out in a real battle though, so she wasn’t really sure how well it’d hold up.

“ So now you’re getting serious.” Neva smirked before suddenly sprinting forward. She suddenly appeared on Mars’s right side and she smirked, apparently he wasn’t quite expecting this. She quickly landed a punch to his face before sprinting again and clocking him on the other side.

This was the reason she loved this version of her armor. It allowed her to be quick and agile enough that she could easily block and dodge attacks if needed, but it also allowed her to land multiple punches in short succession. She had to admit, she was very happy at how she was able to take him by surprise and actually land a few punches. That was, until he grabbed her by the ankle when she went to kick him across the face. Her face paled while he smirked.

“ So predictable.” Was all Mars said before he threw her across the room. Neva heard multiple shouts as she landed in front of Mimosa and Noelle, her armor shattering in the process.

“ Neva!” She heard Mimosa shout, Neva was able to get on her knees and she shook her head.

“ I’m alright Mimosa, but I’m out of magic power. There’s nothing i can do.” Neva told her weakly as Mars approached them, they were screwed and they all knew it. She could hear the boys struggling to get out of their bonds and she smiled sadly, this was it for them, this was where they all died. Neva closed her eyes in acceptance, she didn’t want to watch as Mars sliced them in two.

But it never came.

Neva’s head shot up as she saw Asta suddenly appear in front of them ready to protect them, and she felt a huge gust of wind fly past her and hit Mars. She turned her head and her eyes widened, Yuno was able to break out of his bonds, but what was that next to him? Was it a fairy? She squinted her eyes to try and get a better look but couldn’t really tell. Neva watched as Yuno and Asta quickly ran at Mars and began to fight.

It was funny, their fighting styles were different, their personalities were different, and yet they were surprisingly well matched. Neva couldn’t help but admire their teamwork as she watched them, it truly was amazing that a boy who held no magic power at all, and one who seemed to be blessed by it could be so well in sync. 

_ ‘Finally! It’s over!’  _ Neva thought as they defeated Mars once and for all, she sighed in relief and the others cheered, she watched the crystal that held Luck and Klaus finally disappear. After a small exchange between Yuno and Asta, Noelle ordered Mimosa to heal him.

“ You don’t have to Mimosa, I'm fine!” Asta tried to argue but Neva shook her head.

“ No you’re not. Just do what they say, it’s a lot easier than to argue.” Neva told him, he nodded and let Mimosa begin to heal his wounds. Yuno walked over to her and held out his hand.

“ Can you stand?” He asked her softly, she nodded and took his hand. She noted how surprisingly soft it was,  _ ‘Wait why are you paying attention to that kind of stuff?!’  _ Her mind shouted at her, she shook her head and tried to hide the small blush that crept onto her face.

“ Yeah, thanks.” She muttered before the room began to shake. “ Are you kidding me?!” She shouted before Yuno let go of her hand and created a small wind vessel for them.

“ Let’s get out of here.” Yuno said as they all climbed onto it, he turned to Neva. “ Do you have any magic power left?” She frowned for a bit.

“ I might have a little that's built back up, why?” She asked in confusion, it wouldn’t be able to make anything really strong.

“ Can you make a small cover above us? So that way if any debris falls it won’t kill us?” He asked and she nodded as she made a small diamond cover that floated above them.

———

Neva had never been so happy to be outside in her life! She wasn’t the only one who felt that way, since Mimosa and Noelle both had similar looks on their faces as well. They were able to make it out alive, barely at least.

“ Woo! That was an adrenaline rush huh?” Mimosa said with a small laugh, Neva and Noelle nodded in agreement.

“ The next time the Captain sends us out on a mission like this, I might just decline.” Neva laughed.

“ Yeah I won’t be as lucky with my captain.” Noelle said almost sadly before she seemed to look past Neva’s shoulders with raised eyebrows, she turned to loo and her eyes did the same.

Klaus was hugging both Yuno and Asta, apologizing for how he was treating them the way he had. Neva’s face softened and a true, genuine smile appeared on her face. She heard a small gasp next to her and looked to see Mimosa staring at her.

“ You’re smiling! I don’t think I’ve seen you smile even once in these couple of months that we’ve worked together!” She exclaimed in surprise before the others came over.

“ She’s right, I think it’s the first time I’ve seen you smile as well!” Klaus said as he pushed up his glasses, Neva quickly frowned.

“ I’ve smiled before!” She argued but Yuno shook his head as well.

“ No, I don’t think so.” He agreed with the others, and Neva couldn’t help but huff and cross her arms.

“ W-Whatever! Let’s just go home!” Neva said as she turned on her heels and began to walk away, she couldn’t believe her squad was  _ teasing _ her about her smiling!


	7. Star Festival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is one of my favorites and I hope you guys like it~!

It had been a week since they had gone to the dungeon, or was it a few days? Neva couldn't remember at this point. All the days seemed to blur together. The day after they had gotten back they were sent to visit the Wizard King, Julius Novachrono, and she had to admit he wasn’t what she was expecting. He was a total magic nerd, it was quite amusing. But she couldn’t shake the feeling she had met him before, many years ago, she had pushed that thought away when she figured it was because she had seen him walk through the Capital on occasion. Then the Capital was attacked by the undead and she ran into someone she  _ really _ didn’t want to see ever again.

_ Neva sighed as she created more spiked Diamond pillars to pierce the undead with, she had been quite proud of herself at that, she didn’t want to use any of her close range weapons and didn’t have many long range spells, so this was quite the achievement. She was only able to make the spikes come through the ground but hey, she’d take anything at this point. Neva had created a dome around some civilians she was protecting but she knew it wouldn’t hold much longer and the dead just. kept. coming. _

_ “ Why couldn’t all of you have just  _ stayed _ dead?!” She shouted when suddenly, she saw at least half of the undead be sliced through with spacial magic.  _ ‘No. No way, why is he here?!’ _ Neva thought with dread, she looked up to her right and saw the one person she disliked the most. Langris Vaude. Vice-Captain of the Golden Dawn. He was smirking down at her as usual, and all she could do was glare up at him. _

_ “ Need a hand?” He asked before using another spell to get rid of the rest of the undead. Neva huffed before snapping her fingers to get rid of the Diamond Shell. _

_ “ Here, this way should be safe now. If you all keep going this way, you should find some more magic knights that can help you escape.” Neva instructed, the people quickly thanked her before going into the direction she described. Langris floated down to her and walked over to her, his smug smirk on his face, she instantly rolled her eyes. _

_ “ So, I heard the teacher's pet is in the dog house.” He commented, Neva glared at him and crossed her arms. _

_ “ I heard you were in Kiten, looks like we were both wrong.” She snapped, causing Langris to scoff and place a hand on his hip. _

_ “ Uh-huh, sure. Anyway, I also heard you explored your first dungeon. Congratulations.” Langris told her, she narrowed her eyes, knowing there was more. “ and you got your ass kicked by someone with the same magic as you, that’s  _ gotta _ sting.” He added, there it was, Neva thought with a shake of her head. _

_ “ Don’t you have more important places to be right now,  _ Vice Captain _?” Neva snapped as she began to walk past him, Langris grabbed her upper arm to stop her. _

_ “ I do. But I thought I’d come and say hello to the teacher’s pet first, since y’know, the Captain gives you all sorts of special treatment.” Langris looked at her. “ You might want to be careful about how you stalk Captain Vangeance, before people begin to talk.” He added before letting her go and walking away. _

Neva shook her head to clear away the memory that had been a horrible day. The Captain of the Crimson Lion Kings was found with his arm torn off, bleeding, and unresponsive. From what she had heard he was still alive, which was good, but it had made her angry that Captain Vangeance hadn’t been there to help. She stopped training for a moment as the memory popped into her head, unwanted.

_ Neva was beyond angry, she was  _ livid _. The Captain was supposed to be there, was supposed to help protect the city, but instead he left on ‘urgent business’, which she noticed he was doing a lot of recently. She walked into his office, not bothering to knock, and slammed her hands onto his desk. _

_ “ What the hell Captain?! Where were you today!” She shouted. Vangeance looked at her calmly before leaning back in his seat. _

_ “ As I told the Wizard King and everyone else; I was away on urgent business-.” He started before she cut him off. _

_ “ Liar! You left us high and dry! What business was  _ so _ urgent that you needed to leave us at that moment?!” She shouted again, she noticed a flash of annoyance in her Captains eyes before he leaned forward. _

_ “ You’d best remember who you are speaking to, Neva. Unless you want to be reported for insubordination. Again.” He warned, she blushed and moved her hands off his desk and crossed them. _

_ “ Apologies,  _ Captain _. But you’re always gone, and it’s always when something major happens.” She finished softly, she noticed a shift in his eyes, like his mood suddenly changed, it even felt like the  _ mana _ had changed. _

_ “ Are you accusing me of something Neva?” He asked in a dangerously low tone, Neva felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up and a chill run down her spine, her heart was beating rapidly in her chest, her palms began to sweat; she was terrified of the person in front of her. This wasn’t her Captain. This wasn’t the person she had known most of her life. This was someone else entirely. She swallowed the lump in her now dry throat before attempting to speak. _

_ “ N-No sir I…” she paused, that’s  _ exactly _ what she was doing, or at least, what it  _ sounded _ like she was doing. “ I’m just worried about you Captain.” She added softly as she looked away, all the anger being replaced with defeat. _

_ “ There’s nothing for you to worry about, I promise.” He told her softly before going back to his paperwork. “ Now if you don’t mind, I have some work I need to finish.” He added, effectively ending the conversation. Neva nodded before turning around and walking away. _

_ “ Oh one more thing; it’d be wise if you stopped stalking me whenever I am in the base. Rumors are being circulated and people are starting to get the wrong idea, and I’d like for all of it to be squashed before it reaches other squads' ears.” He told her, Neva only nodded and closed the door behind her. _

“ Dammit!” She shouted as she accidently sent a sharp diamond blade soaring through the air, effectively cutting off a tree limb. Neva leaned forward, placing her hands on her knees, sweat was almost pouring off her in buckets at this point. She was so angry and so frustrated this was the only way she could think of to get rid of it. If she had stopped and looked to her left, she would have noticed three people watching her from afar.

“ S-Should we get her to stop? She’s going to be completely drained at this point.” Mimosa asked with uncertainty, she, Yuno, and Klaus had been watching her for the past hour. She had been trying to either work on her armor spell, or long range offensive spells. Klaus shrugged.

“ I’m not sure, I mean, we might accidentally get caught in the crossfire.” He said, uncertain himself. He looked over as Yuno sighed next to him.

“ I’ll go over there then.” He stated in his usual monotone voice. He even had to admit, he was worried about her, he only knew her for a few months but in those months he felt like he knew what kind of person she was and this was not her.

“ Wait a second; let her get a few more spells done then you can talk to her.” Mimosa whispered, as though Neva could hear them, and she looked over at Klaus. “ By the way, what’s the deal with her and Langris? From what I heard, they were at each other's throats during the invasion.” Yuno looked over at Klaus as well, he was very curious about it too even if he wouldn’t admit it.

“ Well, Langris used to be Neva’s mentor-.” Klaus started before Mimosa gasped in shock and even Yuno looked surprised.

“ Seriously?! The Vice Captain was Neva’s mentor!” Klaus nodded.

“ Yes but please don’t interrupt. He was her mentor for two weeks before the Captain decided it would be best if they no longer worked together, from what I remember, they almost killed each other.” Klaus stated before turning back to watch Neva. She seemed to be all tired out. “ I think you can go talk to her now.” He added, Yuno nodded before walking over to her.

Neva was trying to catch her breath when she heard footsteps approach, she looked over and saw it was Yuno. She smirked.

“ Are we being sent on a mission?” She panted, she hadn’t realized how out of breath she actually was until she stood up straight, she looked over at him and saw him shake his head.

“ No. I was just wanting to make sure you were ok.” Yuno told her honestly, she shrugged a bit.

“ I’m fine. No need to worry.” She muttered, clearly, Yuno wasn’t buying it as he pointed to the tree that was missing a limb.

“ I think that tree would disagree with you.” Neva looked and was very thankful her pale face was already red from training.

“ Yeah, that spell got away from me.” She admitted before looking at him. “ Are you going to the star festival tonight?” She asked, changing the subject.

“ Yeah, and so are you.” Yuno told her, not missing that she was trying to change the subject. He watched her eyebrows raise in surprise.

“ Who says I am? You’re not the boss of me!” Neva argued as she crossed her arms. Yuno nodded before turning around.

“ I know. But I think it’d be good for you. All of us don’t get to hang out outside of missions very much, besides, if I’m being forced to go against my will so are you.” He told her before walking away, the first part about them all hanging out was what Mimosa told him to say, whereas the end was what  _ he _ wanted to tell her. Plus, Yuno wanted to get to know Neva better, but he wasn’t going to tell anyone that.

“ Who does he think he is? Telling me what to do.” Neva grumbled as she followed behind him, if she wanted to go then she would, if she didn’t then she’d stay home.  _ ‘Buuut,’  _ that little voice in her head started.  _ ‘It gives you the chance to get to know him better!’  _ The little voice whispered, Neva smirked to herself, she was finally agreeing with the stupid voice for once!

——

Neva couldn’t stop grumbling that night. After her talk with Yuno she left and took a bath, cleaned up, and was ready to go by the time the others were. She had to admit, the Star Festival was one of her favorite things about the city; good food, good music, games, it was pretty nice. The only thing she didn’t like was the stares people gave them because of their Golden Dawn robes. It made her uncomfortable. Some of the looks these noble people gave them just irritated her, it was like they were looking at them as their own private security or something. She huffed a bit.

“ Something wrong?” Yuno asked as he turned to her, she shook her head, Mimosa and Klaus had wandered off some time ago so now it was just the two of them and it made her  _ very _ nervous. Even if she didn’t show it.

“ No, it’s just the stares. I don’t like them.” She muttered, Yuno tilted his head a bit before shrugging.

“ Ignore them. They’re not worth your time and energy.” He told her bluntly, she looked at him in surprise before a small smirk appeared on her face.

“ Easy for you to say, you’re amazing with your magic and everyone knows it, you even have a four leaf grimoire. So they don’t give you the same looks as me and the others.” She muttered, Yuno looked at her with a confused look.

“ You’re amazing with your magic too. You should really stop putting yourself down so much, you’re one of the few people that actually has an armor spell. Something like that takes time, hard work, and dedication. You know your magic inside and out, you know what it’s made of, how it works, and what your limits are. Not everyone can say that.” Yuno stopped in his tracks as he spoke. Neva couldn’t stop the small blush from appearing on her face, she wasn’t very used to receiving compliments from anyone other than the Captain so it was a little surprising.

“ Please stop trying to make me feel better. It’s not going to work.” She muttered, looking away from him. Yuno stepped closer to her and had the most serious look on his face.

“ I’m not. I’m just being honest.” He told her deadpan, Neva couldn’t help but let out a small laugh before she looked up at him, well, she looked  _ around _ him. Something caught her eye and her face instantly lit up.

“ Ooh a desert stall!” She almost squealed as she quickly ran around him and to the stall, Yuno blinked in surprise.  _ ‘What the hell?’ _ He turned on his heel and noticed where she had gone, giving reason to her sudden change in demeanor, he scoffed before following her over and standing next to her. He looked over the deserts and had to admit, they all looked very tempting, he wished he had just a little money left over to buy him and Neva something from it, but he gave all his pay to the orphanage in Hage village, they needed it more than he did.

Yuno then looked over at Neva and his eyes widened slightly; her face was lit up more than he had ever seen it, a smile he had only seen once before was currently gracing her delicate features, he noticed the way her eyes scanned all the deserts as though she couldn’t make up her mind on what she wanted. His smirk turned in a warm smile, he liked this look on her, it made her look like a completely different person.  _ ‘Hm, I wonder if this is how she normally is, not how she tries to portray herself as.’ _ He wondered to himself, if this was her true personality shining through, he wanted to see more of it.

“ Hey Yuno, can I ask you something?” Neva asked softly, her head suddenly bowed down to hide her face. When he nodded she continued. “ Are there rumors circulating about me and the Captain?” She asked, catching him by surprise. Yuno rubbed the back of his head nervously.

“ Yea. There are.” He confirmed softly, Neva’s head lowered even more and she bit her lip. “Mimosa told me she doesn’t know where or who started it, but they’re trying to say you have a crush on the Captain and that you’re in love with him.” He added, Neva shook her head.

“ None of that is true. It’s actually pretty gross people think that, I don’t even remotely think of the Captain that way. He’s a mentor, a trusted ally, someone I can count on to have my back. Nothing more.” She told him seriously before raising her head and looking at Yuno. All the warmth and happiness from just a moment ago were completely gone, and in its place was a cold and harshness, she had reverted back to her ‘normal’ self, the one everyone saw. Yuno noticed he was a little disappointed, but he didn’t dwell on it much as they were suddenly pulled away by Mimosa and Klaus, saying the Stars were about to be handed out.

——-

Neva was suddenly bored as the Clover King began speaking, she honestly couldn’t understand why he was needed, he didn’t really  _ do _ anything for the kingdom did he? She didn’t think so. But she watched as the Wizard King and King Kira began to have a small discussion and it was slightly amusing how everyone preferred Julius Novachrono to the Clover King. She watched as the stars were handed out, she didn’t recognize the new Captain of the Crimson Lions until Mimosa explained to her that she was Captain Fuegoleons sister Mereoleona, even from a distance Neva knew she did not want to mess with that woman. She seemed to be very powerful.

Neva couldn’t stop the smirk from appearing on her face as Yuno and Belle began to show off to the nobles, after the nobles tried to rag on him and Asta for being commoners that is. Even though Neva thought Belle was a little annoying, she had to admit she was a very powerful spirit. Neva could hear all the ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’ from the crowd and it made her very happy. Until she heard a few feet behind her.

“ He’s very cute isn’t he?” One woman giggled.

“ Who? The blonde one?” Another asked, they were speaking in hushed voices as though trying not to draw attention to themselves.

“ No the dark haired one! He’s so cute and powerful, he even has a four leaf grimoire!” The first one giggled again, Neva glanced over her shoulder and noticed the two girls looked around her age or maybe a little older.

“ Hehe maybe you should try and ask him out when he gets off stage!” The other suggested causing Neva to straighten and clench her jaw, these girls were getting on her nerves.

_ ‘Ooh is somebody jealous?’  _ That little voice teased causing Neva to blush and shake her head, nope, nu-uh, no way was she jealous! She wasn’t going to be like Belle and think Yuno was hers and nobody else’s! She  _ wasn’t  _ jealous. She  _ wasn’t _ !

Suddenly Neva’s ears picked up a few key words that quickly grabbed her attention; Midnight Sun, Royal Magic Knights, and an exam to enter. She smirked a bit, this was payback for the invasion on the Capital, it also sounded like fun and it was a way for her to prove to herself and to others that she was one of the strongest in her squad.

Neva was definitely signing up!


End file.
